Are you also a fat "belly dad"? I'm afraid it's "this" that's causing the trouble! Medical Explanation: 4 Signs of Male Hormone Imbalance

Are you also a fat "belly dad"? Be careful, it may be low hormones! According to a survey by the National Health Administration, the proportion of overweight and obese male workers in Taiwan is as high as 61.6%. "Beer belly" and "tuna belly" have become the hallmarks of many working men, and obesity causes the body to be in a state of chronic inflammation for a long time, which damages health.

Yang Zhiwen, a weight loss specialist and family medicine physician, said that in the clinic, 2-3 out of every 10 male patients suffer from male hormone deficiency. They are unaware that their bodies are suffering from long-term internal consumption and inflammation. In the long run, this may increase the risks of multiple health conditions such as metabolic syndrome, obesity, cardiovascular disease, mood disorders, osteoporosis, and sarcopenia.

Dr. Yang Zhiwen pointed out that in today's society, fathers are still the economic backbone of many families. For the sake of work, overtime and socializing have become commonplace. Unhealthy diet increases insulin resistance and leads to fat accumulation, making every hard-working head of the family become a "belly dad" instead of a rich dad. The pressures from work, finances and family can also cause hormonal imbalance in men. However, "because men do not have a distinct menstrual cycle like women, they often ignore these physical warning signs," said Dr. Yang Zhiwen.

Dr. Yang Zhiwen shared the case of a 35-year-old izakaya owner who is also a father of two. Due to the nature of his work, not only is his work and rest schedule reversed, but he also has to watch over both indoor and outdoor fields, which leaves him no time to eat properly. He often eats in bursts after closing time. But even though he is physically and mentally exhausted after get off work, he still insists on sending his children to school in person every day, for fear of missing out on his children's growth.

The patient said that in order to achieve a balance between work and life, his "me time" is to go to the gym for weight training 2-3 days a week. However, after a few months, he felt increasingly tired and his sleep quality became worse and worse. He "felt tired but couldn't fall asleep", his emotions became increasingly unstable, and his sexual desire decreased. I have been doing weight training for a long time, but not only has my muscle mass not increased, my body shape has also become out of shape, and my weight has increased from 60 to 85 kilograms. The child even said in his childish words, "Daddy's belly feels like a soft pillow," which made him decide to seek professional help. The blood test results showed that the patient had a relative deficiency of male hormones: dehydroepiandrosterone DHEA 1.18 (the standard value is 2.5-8.3), testosterone 4. Although it was within the standard value (the standard value is 3-10ng/ml), men of this age generally have 8, so it is still on the low side.

Obese "belly dad" may be caused by "this"

Dr. Yang Zhiwen explained that being in an environment of chronic stress for a long time will lead to excessive secretion of cortisol, which not only accumulates fat but also consumes muscle. At the same time, the body will not have enough raw materials to synthesize the super hormones DHEA and androgen. Continuous low testosterone levels are not conducive to muscle growth. Instead, they promote fat synthesis, causing the body to fall into a vicious cycle of "the fatter you get, the more tired you get, and the more tired you get, the fatter you get."

Add more zinc-containing foods to your diet to avoid falling into the vicious cycle of "the fatter you get, the more tired you get, and the more tired you get, the fatter you get."

Taking the above case as an example, Yang Zhiwen suggested adding more zinc-containing foods to the diet. The father of two adjusted his diet through a customized 211 plate, which includes 2 portions of vegetables, 1 portion of protein, and 1 portion of high-quality starch. The main sources of protein are seafood and red meat, and oysters, which are rich in zinc, are most recommended. Improve the inflammatory stress caused by the diet by increasing the proportion of protein while reducing carbohydrates. In addition, when hunger strikes between meals, choose nuts rich in zinc and magnesium as a snack. With the help of trace drugs, I lost 4.5 kg in one month, and my spirit, complexion and vitality also improved significantly.

4 symptoms of male hormone imbalance

Dr. Yang Zhiwen specially reminds that hormone imbalance can occur at any age. When the four major symptoms such as sexual dysfunction, mood swings, weight gain, especially increased abdominal fat and decreased sleep quality appear, you should pay attention as soon as possible. As the head of the family, fathers not only shoulder the financial responsibility of the family and face work pressure, but also need to pay attention to their own health, embrace the most important asset in life - health, and be a healthy "rich dad" rather than a "belly dad".